Nandegakko
The Republic of Nandegakkô (Nandegakkovian: Skečáwela ni Nándegakkô) was a planetary state located near Jerde's solar system. Flag and symbols The red line represents distinction or identity in the face of an age filled with destruction and chaos, and the gold ship represents preservation of culture and a desire for exploration. Other than the red band of courage and the golden ship of discovery, the contemporary flag of the Fourth Republic of Nandegakko adds its coat of arms in the middle. The three spears symbolise war, the three palm branches stand for peace, the ship on top symbolises progress, and the striped shield (formerly the emblem of the exiles who founded the earliest Republic) symbolises prosperity. The octopus was Nandegakko's national animal, used in contrast to the Imperial Igarins' squid. While "The Republic of Nandegakko" is the country's national motto, a popular battle-cry used by the warriors of this republic is "Knowledge is Power", reflecting its people's desire for more information. Another symbol of Nandegakko is the "diamond tree", a tree with shells that are hard and transparent with bright seeds inside. These trees are mainly kept for their beauty, and they also represent Nandegakko's love of knowledge. Geography Much of the planet has a tropical climate. Features * Deraten Capital Metropolis * Tőraiwa - the greatest library in all of Nandegakko. Destroyed by the Igarin Empire during the annexation for keeping "heretical" works, rebuilt since independence. History Over a thousand years before the Kyrvotin Invasion, Nandegakko was founded by the mathematician Kurita Deratako and his followers, as he was banished for criticising the Igarin emperor Prunowetsa III for spending too much of the empire's economy on entertainment. It attracted many runaways who were drawn to its ethical society, until it was forcibly annexed into the Igarin Empire due to its strategic location near the Jerde System. As Nandegakko resisted Imperial rule, it turned to the Malendor Supercorporation, who supplied its rebels with much-needed technology to protect themselves and preserve countless documents from later emperors' purges. Many Nandegakkovians settled along the western edges of the Free Igarin Alliance, where they set up the Republic of Chakravela to build a force to liberate their homeworld. Eventually, as the Igarin authorities were angered by Governor Letaggasko's attempts to secede from their empire, they sent a great fleet to exterminate the rebellious Nandegakkovians, until the Malendors and Chakravelians wiped out those fleets and ensured their survival. The refounded republic of Nandegakko (in its fourth incarnation) was inevitably caught within the maelstrom of the Malendors' war against the Konjors, but just as the Konjors were besieging its planet, it was invaded by the Kyrvotins. Many Nandegakkovians lived in various planets in nearby star systems until they Kyrvotins were defeated, and they returned to rebuild the planet. Currently, Nandegakko is split into three republics: North Nandaro, South Nandaro, and the oceanic Prummeai Federation. The three republics deride the more-unified Kingdom of Vovtarla for its archaic attitudes and habits, although they nonetheless work together as allies in a Galaxy rife with barbaric cruelty. Military In spite of Nandegakko's love of tradition, it utilises very advanced (though unstable) technology developed from banned machines smuggled during Imperial rule. Other militaries that fought alongside or against the Nandegakkovians noted that their synthetic armour looked archaic. They even had skirts for privates and lower officers: that practice was done either to emulate ancient warriors in folklore (as it was usually generals in Imperial Igarin armies who still wore skirts to represent their status), or as a reminder of their "equality" as Nandegakkovian citizens. Nandegakko has its own warrior culture, heavily influenced by their Resparin ancestors' practices: many Nandegakkovians proudly boast of being descendants of tribal warriors, and combat is also a popular hobby among many Nandegakkovians. These include chants uttered before battle, frequently carrying knives as a close-quarters defensive weapon, and higher officers wearing colourful feathers atop their helmets or coloured bands around their shoulders to represent their ranks. Due to their lesser numbers (when compared to the other armies of the Galaxy, from the Igarins to the Supercorporations), Nandegakkovians prefer using heavy firepower to quickly kill their enemies, or they commit sabotage and quick raids to weaken their foes. Driven by desperation, some Nandegakkovian platoons and squads became mutants, gaining various powers to overtake their enemies. Most of them prefer using fire-based abilities to destroy their enemies and incinerate their armies. Demographics Most people in Nandegakkô belong to the blue-skinned humanoid Igarinoids (or Grifajes), and more specifically to the red-haired Resparin race. It also had minorities belonging to other Igarinoid races and humans. Culture See also: Nandegakkovian language, Nandegakkovian glossary Nandegakkovian culture would seem archaic to an Igarin of the Sarmelonid era, as its traditions were more similar to the conditions and phonology that were used during their country's founding nearly a thousand years ago. It valued art, historical knowledge, fashion, and archery as its main traditions, and it also has its own "warrior culture" inherited from their Resparin ancestors. Nonetheless, in spite of their love of combat, they are also refuse to be reckless to avoid attracting more powerful enemies, but they will fervently defend to the last member and bullet if they are threatened by such. Women, carers, and drones are given equal status in Nandegakkovian society as men: it is either due to the founders' teachings of reform and innovation, or it is a continuation of the Resparin admiration of female warriors. Likewise, Nandegakkovian society accepts nonbinaries (people who do not identify themselves by any gender at all) and trans people out of being practical and to avoid repeating the Igarin Empire's and the Supercorporations' forceful policies. Religion See also: Resparin mythology Nandegakkô is renowned for being one of the few openly-atheist states in the Galaxy, a result of the Igarin Empire using their planet to exile those who refused to worship the Gods developing an atheist majority. However, its religious minorities are tolerated, as the Nandegakkôvians sought to avoid repeating sectarian conflicts and they sought allies among a polytheistic Galaxy. As a result, many other peoples in the Galaxy -- most of whom worshipped many gods -- viewed Nandegakkovians as "weird" or "unusual". Their lack of religious belief also caused others to view them as "barbarians": however, this is disproved as nearly every Nandegakkovian practices a series of principles (instead of religious laws) to keep themselves under their own control and avoid the same recklessness that plagues other galactic civilisations. As individuals, they can still be fallible and easily-corrupted like anyone else, hence the need for self-discipline. Nonetheless, religious people there would consider the Igarin civilisation goddess Poressa Kuri as Nandegakko's patron deity. Furthermore, while the gods of the Igarin and Resparin pantheon are not worshipped by most Nandegakkovians, they are often used as stock characters in popular works. In fact, Nandegakko even has its own canon of Igarin mythology that attempts to unite its many variations into a single narrative, complete with a happy ending. Although all atheists are welcomed to Nandegakko, any atheist who does things like damaging temples or beating up people over their religious beliefs (or not being "atheist" enough) would be shunned and ridiculed. Such anti-theist fanatics would be known as "Ironworlders", named after a dictatorship that shared similar beliefs about "forcibly eradicating religion in the name of progress". Nandegakkovians prefer coexistence and diplomacy (except to the most destructive of all people), rather than using force to alter people's beliefs, because they prefer having more friends in a Galaxy that would otherwise avoid them for their beliefs. Trivia * Nandegakkô's name was inspired by a Japanese comment in a Gachimuchi video that read "なんで学校w" (nande gakkou warawara, "Why this school? LOL"), which laughs at a scene where a wrestler destroys a school. ** The Nandegakkovian people were inspired by the Octolings of Splatoon (red hair, fashion, octopuses, shooting, and the word "dera" for "very/much") and the Tau Empire of Warhammer 40,000 (technology and a warrior tradition). Their traditional culture was based on Majapahit Indonesian art. See also * Vovtarla, their old-fashioned, horse-obsessed rival Category:Peculiar Rabydosverse nations Category:Galactic factions Category:Alien countries Category:Countries Category:Sarmelonid Era Category:Grifajes Category:Republics Category:Atheism Category:Planets